Railroad-car spring



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. J. FIELD.

Car Spring. No. 20,998. Patented July 27, I858.

AIILPHDTO'LITHKLCO. N-Y (OSBORN SSSSSSSSSS J 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J.FIELD.

Car Spring.

No. 20,998. Patented July 27. 1858.

AM PHOTO-LITHD. C0. N.Y. (OSBDRNES PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. J. FIELDS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-CAR SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,998, dated July 27, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Flaws, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented and made and have now in usecertain new and useful Improvements in Springs for Railroad-Cars and forotherP'urposes, which I designate the Elastic-Cone Socket-Spring; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, is arepresentation of the spring completed, and detached from the pedestalpart of the car frame or truck. Fig. 2, is a vertical section of thespring. Fig. 3, shows the socket, or cup like receptacle part. Fig. 4,represents the hollow elastic cone or sheath part. Fig. 5 shows theinverted cone plunger, or core part. Fig. 6 represents the secondarycone sheath. Fig. 7 represents a secondary inverted cone plunger orsolid cone part.

The nature of my improvements, consists in constructing a car-spring insuch a manner with peculiarly shaped devices, as enables the bringinginto requisition an equalization of pressure and compression; wherebythe superincumbent weight, or force applied thereon, bears regularlythroughout the whole elastic surface employed, verti cally, laterally,and obliquely; and diffusing throughout the elastic volume, any force orstrain acting thereon.

A most important improved feature pertaining to my spring, is the modeor manner of arranging and applying a greatly diminished quantity orvolume of elastic substance, so as to develop an inherent property in anincreased degree, and presenting a greater extent of elastic surface,together with a greatly increased resistance or action, over any methodheretofore of employing elastic substances for springs.

The better to enable others to be skilled in the construction,application, and use of my improvements, I herewith describe the same.

In Fig. 1, the spring is shown complete, but about one third thedimensions of a large size one. The spring is represented as detachedfrom the pedestal and turned upward; and at a, a, a, a, is indicated asuitable metallic socket or cup like receptacle, hollowed out, withslightly tapering walls, or sloping sides as at b, b, b, b, about onethird the depth. Thence downwardly, begins a slight fullness, ledge orswell c, c, 0, c, forming an inverted, cone like hollow, or cavity (Z,(Z, (Z, (Z, the lower termination of which, instead of being acute orpointed, is lunt or spread somewhat as at c, c, Fig. 2. Conforming tothis cone cavity, is used an elastic hollow cone or sheath 7, f, f, f,Figs. 2 and 4t, varying from an inch, or more in thickness, of substancethroughout its circumference, and formed at its upper extremity with arim or increased thickness of sub stance as at g, g, g, g, Figs. 2 and4. Fitting into this inverted, hollow elastic cone, or sheath, is aregularly formed, inverted cone like plunger, or core plug h, h, h, 71/,formed with an annular disk head or flange part, of suitable thickness.This disk head, or flange part, is concave, or dished somewhat as at 2'z' and the cone portion is hollowed out, or formed partly with a conicalcavity J, J, J, for the insertion if desired of a secondary cone sheath70, 7c, 70, formed with an annular rim L, L, L, into which sheath may beinserted a solid cone plug, or secondary plunger m, m, m, m, formed witha solid disk head 12, a, n, which is also concave, or dished somewhat asat 0, 0, Figs. 2 and 7 It is well known, that in the use of the best andmost approved springs for cars, that a more or less compact, solid massof rubber is required; or series of disks, varying from six to twentypounds, in the aggregate, are employed, and such devices or forms ofsprings, are capable, inherently of sustaining severally, a pressuredirect of from one to four tons, and it not infrequently occurs, thatunder this amount of pressure, that the springs give way, or the elasticmass bursts asunder thus destroying the action of the spring; and italso not unfrequently occurs, where thick masses of rubber are used,that a great portion thereof must possess considerable immobility, or anonactive property, and the central part of the spring can not give outany elastic action, but be inert, and hence, there must be a more orless loss of the inherent elastic property; and when this is the case,there must ensue therefrom more or less irregular rebound, and vibratoryaction, causing a rough, thumping, undulatory motion of the car, owingto the inequality of the two forces, pressure and compression.

In the peculiar forms of devices used by me, and the manner of applyingthe elastic substance in the form of a hollow elastic cone or sheath, Irequire but about two pounds, or one third the quantity of elasticsubstance usually required to sustain a given amount of pressure.

It is found by actual practical test, that every particle of the elasticproperty is brought into use, in the application of my improvements, forthe sloping sides on the conical wall (Z, (Z, (Z, (Z, of the cup orsocket a, a, a, (1, acts as a surrounding shield, and pressing upward,against the oblique, or conical surface of the rubber f, f, g, g, everyparticle of the substance thereof is equally supported, an equalizationof the elastic force, and a regular diffusion of pressure, andcompression produced throughout the entire thickness of the substanceused.

I am well aware, that in a patent granted to Fowler M. Ray October 8th1850, forms of india rubber and metal are shown, and termed frustums ofhollow cones. But said forms in reality are not what they are claimed tobe, either in shape, or principle; but are on the contrary, obliquelycut concave sections of a cylinder, and possess two vertical parallelsides 0, c, c, c Fig. 9 of equal extent. and two parallel obliquesurfaces (I. (7, (Z, (I, also of equal extent; and these forms of Raysare pierced through and through as at c c c Fig. 9; then again, theirelastic or yielding action is in a direct vertical line only; and theresultant, force thereof, is the action laterally, or at right anglesfrom a vertical line; ensuing from the downward pressure, producing thecompression which compression distends the elastic substance outwardlyright and left as shown by the dots Fig. 9. But observe, that in the useof my devices, I bring into requisition, and apply in a peculiar mannerthe principle of a true cone, which necessarily enables me to use agreatly reduced amount of elastic substance; affording as great aresisting energy as is developed in four times the amount of rubberordinarily applied as a spring, and the yielding action afforded by myspring, is not over one fourth of an inch in play; consequently themotion must be smooth, uniform, and without any rebound with little. ifany friction.

The better to demonstrate the difference between my spring, and thespring of Fowler M. Bay, a reference must be had to the demonstrativediagram 8, where a true cone is represented inverted and the sides ab,1), (1 7), at), tend inwardly from the base of the cone, instead ofdiverging outwardly as do the oblique surfaces (Z, ZZ, (Z, (Z, of Raysforms as shown in the demonstrative diagram 9. And while the compressionin Rays spring is in an outwardly horizontal direction from the centerof pressure indicated by the arrows (Z (Z diagram 9, the compression inmy spring is inwardly,

and upwardly simultaneously in the direction of the arrows c, c. c andthe dots f, f,

diagram 8; and thus the resultant force of my spring, is that force,ensuing from the compression, through the coming together simultaneouslyof the inwardly sloping surfaces a7)'al)abub diagram 8; and inst ad ofdiminishing, or destroying the elastic energy, it is increased, byaffording, or engenderiiw, a self sustaining principle through theagency of the upward pressing of the surrounding shell, or encompassingcup receptacle a, a, a, a, Figs. 1, 2, and this resultant force of myspring terminates in the lifting up, and swelling out as at the dots f,f, diagram 8, thereby affording a self sustaining action, instead ofdistending, or expanding outwardly and thereby necessarily diminishingthe elastic property as is the case in the operation of Fowler M. Raysspring.

From the peculiar forms of devices and the manner of applying theelastic substance in my spring, there is barely a possibility of theirbecoming useless by any natural wear, or abrasion of the parts; andowing to the great simplicity of my springs, they can be most readilyapplied to any car truck, in use. without altering or rearranging anyportion of the pedestal, or running gear. And, should there be anyaccident beyond the natural wear and tear, any injured or defective partof the spring can be replaced instantly by substituting new parts, at amere nominal cost; and all such combinations and appliances as rings,disks, bands, tubes, and central bolts, or rods, are dispensed withentirely; and thus the cost of car springs is diminished at least fiftyper cent; while at the same time is afforded not merely a simplyconstructed, but a most effectually operating secure spring.

In the application of my springs, they can be used, reversed, orinverted in position as well as in the position shown in the diagrams.

The secondary parts shown in Figs. (5 and 7, are only designed to beused when a greater yielding motion is desired.

Having shown the form of construction of my spring, and described thenature, principle, application and greatutility thereof, and disclaimingthe mere application of elastic substances for springs, as well asdisclaiming in full the invention use or application of the perforatedconcave devices or forms described and claimed by Fowler M. Ray, and byhim designated frustums of hollow cones with central rod.

hat I claim however, as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is as follows:

I claim the cup or receptacle a, a. a, a, formed with the larger cavityI), 6, b, the

swell or ledge 0, 0, cthe sloping or conical or weight applied, isequalized, or difiused cavity d, (Z, d, e, e, e,- the elastic, hollowthroughout the substance employed, subcone, or sheath f, f; g, g, theinverted cone stantially as herein set forth and described. 1

plunger or core part it, h-z', i,- through JOHN J. FIELDS. [Ls] all ofwhich, the whole elastic principle or Witnesses: property of thematerial or substance used, J OHN S. HoLLINGsHEAD, is brought intorequisition, and the pressure CHS. P. VVANNALL.

